Heat wave puts brakes on afternoon rides at fair

STRATHAM — The 46 Annual Stratham Fair was under way for the second of four days on Friday as temperatures climbed into the 90s.

The annual fair started on Thursday and runs until Sunday night, ending with a fireworks show on the fairgrounds. The Miss Stratham Fair Pageant took place Friday night at 7 p.m.

According to fair director John Cushing, attendance Friday was lower than usual. He attributed this to the recent heat wave. “We installed about half-a-dozen misters in the walk ways,” said Cushing.

Cushing also explained that all rides were suspended from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m. because of the heat.

Despite the hot weather, Cushing said the fair has been going well. “The fair opened yesterday,” he said. “We had a good day.”

The annual fair, which has hundreds of events, including multiple headliner concerts and various animal exhibitions, has become well-known as a major source of funding for the Stratham Volunteer Fire Department.

“It’s all going nonprofit to the fire department,” said Cushing.

However, Cushing said other local organizations benefit from the fair as well. The 4-H Youth Development Program brought many animals to the fair and will have several animal related exhibits as well as an auction.

The Boy Scouts of America sold lemonade from a camper parked on the fairgrounds. “This is their biggest fundraiser of the year; their lemonade,” said Cushing.

The Stratham Volunteer Fire Department had two vendor stations selling burgers and sausages and the Stratham Volunteer Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary had a vendor station as well.

Mike Perry manages one of the two vendor stations run by the Fire Department called the “Big Mack Shack.” The shack was named by one of the creators of the Stratham fair, and a 58-year member of the Fire Department, Christopher T. Rowe. Rowe managed the shack and nicknamed it the Big Mack Shack. When he passed away this year, a plaque was hung outside with his name next two the words “Big Mack Shack.”

“I took over about 10 years ago,” said Perry. “But he was always still involved with the fair. You couldn’t get him away from the fair.”

Over the course of the four-day fair, there will be hundreds of different events including a pie-eating contest, a pig scramble, oxen pulls, and as always, many large carnival rides.

Up-and-coming country star Zach Lockwood will perform on the Main Stage Saturday at 8 p.m. and another young country singer, Rachele Lynae, will play on the Main Stage at 6 p.m. on Sunday. Those are just two of more than 40 musical acts scheduled to perform over the course of the four-day festival.

Stratham Fair Volunteer Patty Lovejoy said the festival is all about a sense of community. “The nice thing about this fair is it is 100 percent volunteer,” said Lovejoy.

She said the money raised goes to improvements in the park or the Stratham Volunteer Fire Department.